Controlling the growth and assembly of nanoparticles is one of the most significant problems facing nanoscience. This is so in part because the size- and shape-dependent physicochemical and optoelectronic properties of metal and semiconductor nanoparticles are important factors in catalysis, biosensing, recording media, and optical devices.
Many templates, such as DNA, peptides, polymers or surfactants, dyes, and multidentate thioethers, have been used to control the growth and assembly of nanoparticles. These templates have received attention because they adsorb on the particle surface, preventing particle aggregation, and they change the surface properties of the resulting nanostructures, allowing for careful manipulation and assembly of the nanoparticles.
These current methods used to assemble nanoparticles, however, suffer from one or more of the following shortcomings: (A) they offer no control over the shape and/or the size of the nanoparticle assembly; (B) they require multiple time-consuming synthetic steps; and (C) they are extremely low-yielding.
Assembling nanoparticles into hierarchical materials therefore remains a considerable challenge. Simple processes are needed that can be employed to assemble nanoparticles into pre-designed functional materials. Without such processes, rational incorporation of nanoparticles into new materials remains largely infeasible.